Standard banders or spreaders fail to produce a good distribution pattern of granular material deposited on hillsides. The side-to-side slope of the ground affects the bandwidth and distribution pattern. As the planter unit tilts, the granules run toward the downhill side of the bander. At about a fifteen percent slope, all of the granules run out of the downhill side depositing a thin band of material downhill from the seed furrow, rather than a wide band over the seed furrow.
Conventional banders have uneven patterns on level ground, lose thirty percent to sixty percent of the effective pattern on a seven to ten percent slope, and lose sixty percent to all of the effective pattern on a ten to twenty percent slope. Because of poor placement, agricultural chemicals may be ineffective resulting in inefficient production and increased costs.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved granular chemical bander.
The present invention provides a granular chemical bander including a housing having an upper neck section and a lower body section. The neck section has a top opening for receiving a supply tube, and a horizontally disposed deflector plate having feed openings at each lateral side. The body section is divided into a front compartment in communication with the opening of one lateral side, and a rear compartment in communication with the opening at the other lateral side. Granular material flowing into the front and rear compartments is directed laterally away from the respective feed opening by diagonal baffles and is discharged in a band laterally off-set from the feed opening.
The bander is typically located behind the seed furrow closing mechanism on a planter. When the planter is traveling over level ground, the deflector plate remains horizontal and granular material flows through the feed openings into both the front and rear compartments, and is deposited on the ground in two adjacent bands over the seed furrow. When the planter is traveling over sloping ground, the deflector plate is tilted and the granular material flows out of the low side feed opening, into the respective compartment and is deposited on the ground in a single band on the uphill side of the seed furrow.
An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved granular chemical bander.
Another object is to provide a bander than maintains an acceptable spread pattern on sloping terrain.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a granular chemical bander that is easy to use and maintain.
Still another object is to provide a bander that is simple in design and durable.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a granular chemical bander that is inexpensive to manufacture.